Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Middle East and North Africa: Refugees

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are actively discussing with international partners the creation of safe havens in North Africa and in the Middle East to provide refugees with humanitarian support and assessment for resettlement or return to their home.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have provided £800m of humanitarian support for Syrian refugees, as well as significant support for refugees in Africa. We participate in the EU’s Middle East Regional Development and Protection Programme, which aims to create a sustainable framework for protection in countries neighbouring Syria, and are considering how we might participate in similar programmes in North Africa and the Horn of Africa.

Middle East and North Africa: Refugees

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many migrants from the Middle East or North Africa are thought to have died in the past 12 months; how many are being held within the European Union; what progress is being made in deterring human traffickers from exploiting and endangering such migrants; and what are their short- and long-term policies regarding such migrants.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that 3,500 people died attempting to cross the Mediterranean in 2014. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimates that by the end of April, over 1,700 migrants had died crossing the Mediterranean this year. The numbers of illegal migrants detected entering the EU sea border in 2014 was 220,000, of which about 170,000 crossed the Central Mediterranean.At the Extraordinary European Council in April, EU Member States agreed to establish a military Common Security and Defence Policy operation to disrupt trafficking and smuggling networks. We are working with EU partners to address long-term flows through initiatives in source and transit countries to address the underlying causes. We are increasing our work in and with transit countries to ensure migrants are protected, smuggling networks are closed down, that border management is improved, and to ensure that there is increased awareness of the risks of attempting a perilous journey to reach Europe.

Armed Conflict: Interpreters

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to table a Resolution at the United Nations Security Council on the protection of interpreters and translators working in conflict zones, similar to the Resolution on the protection of journalists.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: All civilians are entitled to protection during armed conflict under international humanitarian law (IHL). The British Government works through the UN Security Council (UNSC) to increase the protection of civilians in conflict situations. The unanimous adoption of UNSC Resolution 2222 in May on the protection of journalists provided welcome recognition, not only of the contribution journalists make through the unique role they play in building open and democratic societies, but also the increased dangers they face as a consequence.The UK has no current plans to table a UNSC resolution on the protection of interpreters and translators. The Government acknowledges that interpreters and translators it employs in conflict zones may face additional threats. We take the security and safety of all members of our staff very seriously and have put in place measures to reduce the risks they face.

Pakistan: Christianity

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan following the attacks on 24 May on a church and the homes of Christians in the Sandya district of Lahore; and what representations they have made concerning the declaration by doctors that Humayun Masih is unfit to plead.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain deeply concerned by the violent persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan and by misuse of the blasphemy law. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to protect the human rights of all its citizens as laid down in the Pakistan Constitution and take concrete action to deliver on commitments to protect minorities. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), discussed Pakistan’s misuse of the blasphemy laws with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in November 2014. In December the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), also stressed our concerns about Pakistan’s blasphemy law with Prime Minister Sharif.

United Arab Emirates: Human Rights

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of the United Arab Emirates regarding that country's refusal to allow entry to James Lynch, a British citizen, and other professionals working for human rights organisations.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), raised the Amnesty International case with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to the UK on 4 June. The UAE Ambassador has agreed to take forward this case with the UAE authorities.

Football: Qatar

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Qatar and FIFA about the health and safety of construction workers building stadiums for the World Cup; and what responses they have received.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government takes seriously the issue of health and safety of construction workers building all infrastructure projects in the Gulf, including Qatar. We expect FIFA to do the same with regard to specific World Cup related projects. British officials promote the importance of local construction projects meeting international safety standards with their Qatari counterparts. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), raised our concerns about the wider treatment of foreign workers with the Qatari government during bilateral exchanges in Doha on 26 February. The Government welcomes the Qatari government's announcement of a series of measures to improve regulations governing the treatment of workers. We stand ready to support these efforts where we can.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken in the light of their "serious concern" at the imminent destruction of the village of Susiya.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have raised these issues with the Head of Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories’ (COGAT) Civil Administration division. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes. We are providing £1.1 million of technical assistance to support Palestinian villages currently threatened with demolition action to meet the requirements of the Israeli planning system. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), raised the issue with National Security Advisor Yossi Cohen on 3 June. In addition we continue to support Bedouin communities and Palestinians in Area C facing demolition or eviction through support to the Norwegian Refugee Council legal aid programme which helps individuals to challenge these decisions in the Israeli legal system.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with the government of Israel concerning the recent economic monitoring report by the World Bank regarding the economy of Gaza; and what steps they are taking to address the high level of youth unemployment in Gaza.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we have not discussed this specific report by the World Bank with the Government of Israel, we continue to stress to the Israeli authorities the damage that their restrictions are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza and that supporting legal trade for Gazans is firmly in Israel’s long-term interests. The Department for International Development’s current work on Gaza addresses the key access constraints, promotes economic growth and provides support to the poorest and most vulnerable parts of society.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the 74 Palestinians injured during the week ending 25 May, in particular an eight-year-old shot in the eye with a rubber bullet outside Shu'fat refugee camp.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While our officials in Tel Aviv have not raised these specific cases with the Israeli authorities, we do, however, raise our concerns with them about the manner in which the Israel Defence Forces police non-violent protests, including the use of lethal and non-lethal ammunition.

Syria

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the circumstances of the more than 230 Assyrian Christian hostages taken by Da'esh in the north of Syria in February; (2) the capture by Da'esh of around 35 predominantly Assyrian villages along the Khabur river in the Hassake Governorate; and (3) how many people remain unaccounted for following those captures.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We understand that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) are still holding more than 200 Assyrian Christians who were abducted in February from villages along the Khabour river in Hassakeh Province of North-East Syria. We believe that, in another act of appalling barbarity, ISIL executed at least 15 of the hostages, and that 23 Assyrian Christians have since been released following the payment of ransom money by the families, and another two freed when the area was liberated at the end of May. We remain concerned for the remaining hostages, most of whom are women, children and elderly people. We support the UN Security Council Statement condemning the abductions and demanding the Christians immediate release.The UK is committed to defeating ISIL, an organisation that has no place in today’s world. We will continue to work with the Global Coalition of more than sixty countries to ensure that ISIL no longer poses a threat to the people of the region, to international stability or to our own national security.

Syria

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the successful removal of Da'esh from the 35 villages along the Khabur river that had previously been captured, what steps they are taking to assist the clearing of mines and unexploded ordnance, to consolidate stability, and to create safe havens to enable the return of residents.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While the UK is not carrying out any mine clearance operations in Syria, we fully recognise the widespread and severe civilian suffering caused by the conflict. The UK has given over £800m to the humanitarian response, more than we have given to any previous humanitarian crisis. Some of this has been targeted to provide humanitarian support to the Hasakah Governorate as and where security constraints have allowed.Although safe havens can be effective in some situations, they are not currently feasible in Syria. Without all parties agreeing on their establishment there would need to be sufficient military capability to guarantee the safety of individuals. That is not currently present in Syria.

Africa: Refugees

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps the European Union has taken to ensure that its strategic partners in Africa (1) warn their citizens of the dangers of making trans-Saharan and Mediterranean voyages for the purposes of irregular migration, (2) deter those seeking to embark on such a journey, and (3) strengthen law enforcement against human trafficking in such migrants' countries of origin; and what position they have taken in discussions with other European Union member states regarding such steps.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We believe it is essential to have a comprehensive approach to deal with irregular migration. This should involve work in source and transit countries to ensure migrants are protected, smuggling networks are closed down, that border management is improved, and to ensure that there is increased awareness of the risks of attempting a perilous journey to reach Europe. We are working with EU partners to ensure these elements are included in the EU’s response to tackling the problems in the Mediterranean. For example, we are members of the Core Group of the Khartoum Process, an EU- African Union initiative to tackle trafficking and smuggling of migrants between the Horn of Africa and Europe.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Universities

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Higher Education Academy recommending that United Kingdom universities should adopt the grade point average system.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Higher Education Academy (HEA) report ‘Grade Point Average: Report of the GPA pilot project 2013-14’, published on 28 May 2015, was a result of a review undertaken by HEA’s national Grade Point Average Advisory Group. The Department has noted the report. However, higher education institutions with degree awarding powers are responsible for their own academic awards. It is a matter for institutions to consider the recommendation as independent and autonomous bodies.

Department for International Development

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of President Carter’s failed attempt to enter Gaza, what support they will give to United Kingdom Ministers who wish to assess the humanitarian situation in Gaza first-hand.

Baroness Verma: The safety of British Nationals is of paramount importance and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s travel advice for British nationals is clear; we advise against all travel to Gaza. Decisions on approval for official and ministerial visits to Gaza are taken on a case by case basis in light of the security and political situation at the time.

Nepal: Earthquakes

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they have given to the government of Nepal following the earthquake there on 25 April.

Baroness Verma: The UK is providing more than £33 million to the earthquake response in Nepal – making us the largest donor to the relief operation. Assistance from the UK Government has provided thousands of needy people and affected communities with water purification jerrycans and essential shelter, and has transported a huge volume of boxes of food rations and lanterns. A new health programme, announced by the Secretary of State during her visit in May, will ensure that children can continue to be immunised, women can deliver babies safely and work can commence on rebuilding up to 1,000 damaged health facilities. Our pre-positioned water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies have also reached thousands of people.

Palestinians: Refugees

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government steps they are taking to support Palestinian refugees from Syria living in Lebanon following the suspension of cash assistance from the UN Relief and Works Agency for housing owing to lack of funds.

Baroness Verma: The UK has been supporting the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to ensure that the needs of highly vulnerable Palestinians are addressed inside Syria and in neighbouring countries, including Lebanon. To date, the UK has allocated £38.75 million to provide cash assistance, food parcels, relief items, hygiene packs and education for Palestinian refugees affected by the violence in Syria and the region. The UK’s expected contribution to UNRWA’s 2015 Syria emergency appeal is £8 million, which includes £2 million towards support for Palestinian refugees from Syria in Lebanon. This is in addition to the UK’s contribution of £30 million towards UNRWA’s General Fund, which supports services provided to Palestinian refugees in the region.  The UK remains deeply concerned about the wellbeing of Palestinian refugees from Syria in Lebanon, and recognises the funding shortfalls across UNRWA’s funds and appeals. The UK continues to play a leading role in encouraging the international community to make generous pledges in response to the humanitarian crisis. The UK also welcomes UNRWA’s efforts to take forward important reforms to achieve greater cost efficiencies, whilst prioritising the needs of the most vulnerable.

Department for Education

Church Schools

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Freud on 3 June (HL Deb, col 508), what form the engagement with the church will take, and whether it will take place before the Education and Adoption Bill is introduced.

Lord Nash: Department for Education officials meet with representatives of the Church of England and Catholic Church on a regular basis to discuss the impact of Government policy on their schools. They will continue such engagement during the passage of the Education and Adoption Bill.

Faith Schools: Admissions

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to review the 50 per cent cap on faith-based admissions to free schools.

Lord Nash: The government has no plans to review the 50 per cent limit of faith based admissions to free schools and new provision academies.

Ministry of Defence

Trident Submarines

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the planned build time for the first and second replacement Trident submarines.

Earl Howe: Planned build times have been withheld as they relate to the formation of government policy. While the department will consider a number of planning assumptions for build times when conducting Concept and Assessment studies on projects, build times are not confirmed until projects achieve or reach their Main Gate approval.

Department for Work and Pensions

Housing Benefit

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to make a statement on the adequacy of existing levels of Discretionary Housing Payments, and if so, when.

Lord Freud: There are no plans for Her Majesty’s Government to make any statement on Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) at this time as the financial and monitoring returns analysis for 2014/15 will be published on the morning of 25th June 2015, on the GOV.UK website. The Department is committed to monitoring the allocation and use of DHPs and has published mid-year and annual reports using data provided by Local Authorities (LAs) which highlight over and under-spending LAs. The release of this analysis into the public domain demonstrates the Department’s continuing commitment to supporting LAs efforts to use existing housing stock more effectively as, since 2013, the Department has made available £470 million in Discretionary Housing Payment funding, of which a significant sum is returned by LAs each year.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Housing: Construction

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much brownfield land they have identified as being suitable for house building, and in particular for building social housing; and what proportion of the total is situated in areas with a current housing shortage.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We estimate that capacity exists for around 200,000 homes on brownfield sites that are suitable and viable for housing, in areas where sufficient demand exists, and irrespective of tenure. To improve the availability and transparency of data on brownfield land, we have announced our intention to require local authorities to maintain a register of brownfield land suitable for housing.

HM Treasury

Debts

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to address United Kingdom household debt and to make domestic finances more sustainable.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The personal financial position of households is improving. Household debt as a proportion of income has fallen from a peak of 169 per cent in 2008 Q1 to 146 per cent in 2014 Q4, as households have reduced borrowing and repaid debt. The government has introduced a number of measures to support domestic finances including the New ISA, abolishing the starting rate of tax on savings income, NS&I pensioner bonds and now the Help to Buy ISA.

Northern Ireland Executive: Finance

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the failure by the Northern Ireland Assembly to pass the Welfare Reform Bill, whether they will continue to make additional finance available to the Northern Ireland Executive as set out in the Stormont House agreement.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The Stormont House Agreement, if fully implemented, would pave the way for a more stable and prosperous Northern Ireland. Welfare reform is a central component, and failure to deliver it calls into question the availability of the significant financial package put forward by the Government in support of the wider Agreement.   As the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has been clear, it is vital that the Northern Ireland parties get on with the job of honouring their commitments.

Borrowing

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the respective borrowing limits for the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The Northern Ireland Executive has a statutory borrowing limit of £3 billion for capital purposes as set out in the Northern Ireland (loans) Act 1975 and as amended by the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006.   The Scotland Act 2012 permits the Scottish Government to borrow up to £2.2 billion for capital purposes and £500 million to cover shortfalls in cash receipts.   The Welsh Government may borrow up to £500 million to cover shortfalls in the Welsh Consolidated Fund as set out in the Government of Wales Act 2006. The Wales Act 2014 confers capital borrowing powers of up to £500 million on the Welsh Government which take effect from 2018-19. The annual amounts that each Devolved Administration may borrow are agreed between the Treasury and the respective Devolved Administration.

Block Grant

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their latest estimates of the block grant amounts transferred to (1) Wales, (2) Scotland, and (3) Northern Ireland in each of the three most recent financial years.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The combined Resource and Capital Departmental Expenditure Limits for each of the Devolved Administrations for the years in question is as follows:   £ million2013-142014-152015-16Scottish Government29,00830,22030,090Welsh Government15,79115,89615,935Northern Ireland Executive11,10511,36511,193   These data do not include the changes made for 2015-16 as part of the Main Estimates round or the estimated outturn for 2014-15.   Updated information will be published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses later this summer.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Nuclear Power

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are any reasons why marine nuclear propulsion engines such as the A1B could not be used on land to generate nuclear power if connected in series; and if so, what those reasons are.

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for using PWR3 nuclear reactors, mounted on floating barges, as a potential power source for electricity generation in the United Kingdom.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: There are a number of factors that are considered to make marine nuclear propulsion reactors unattractive for landside electricity generation, when compared to a conventional reactor that has been designed specifically for this purpose. All of these are likely to add to the levelised cost of electricity generation from a propulsion reactor used for electricity generation purposes for the national grid, compared to a dedicated land-based reactor. These include the following:1) Propulsion reactors are designed for more rapid power cycling than is currently demanded from landside reactors.2) The power density of a propulsion reactor is much higher than one would need for a landside power reactor.3) The serviceable lifetime for a propulsion reactor is shorter than for a power reactor.4) Propulsion reactors are smaller than most reactor designs, varying between a few tens of MW to about 150 MW, resulting in relatively little capacity per unit.5) Propulsion reactors’ design would result in the regulatory compliance costs of their landside use for electricity generation being greater than those for a dedicated landside reactor.The first two issues add to capital costs of design and construction, the second two to operational costs and the final to regulatory costs.

Cabinet Office

General Election 2015: Absent Voting

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, prior to the general election, what were the total and percentage figures for (1) the number of postal voters registered in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) England, (c) Scotland, (d) Wales, and (e) Northern Ireland; and (2) the number of postal votes cast in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) England, (c) Scotland, (d) Wales, and (e) Northern Ireland.

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which 20 constituencies had the highest number of postal votes in the United Kingdom during the general election; which five constituencies in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales and (4) Northern Ireland had the highest number of postal votes; and what percentage of the total number of postal voters these figures represent in each case.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UK Statistics Reply 
(PDF Document, 64.09 KB)

Emergencies

Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current equivalent of the Cabinet Office’s Central Government War Book of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, if any.

Lord Bridges of Headley: With the end of the cold war, separate arrangements for civil defence and emergency planning were combined and underpinned by the Civil Contingencies Act (CCA). The traditional Government War Books were archived.Details of specific plans and arrangements are not held together in one compendium. The National Security Secretariat retains an overview to ensure that relevant material can be accessed quickly if needed.The Strategic Defence and Security Review will, among other things, consider the changing risk picture and whether changes are needed to our current posture and arrangements.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Chairman of the Chilcot Inquiry regarding the early publication of the final report.

Lord Bridges of Headley: I refer the Noble Lord to the exchange of letters between the Prime Minister and Sir John Chilcot from January 2015 regarding the progress of the Inquiry. I have attached a copy for reference.



Letter from Sir John Chilcot to Prime Minister 
(PDF Document, 241.08 KB)




Letter from Prime Minister to Sir John Chilcot
(PDF Document, 198.08 KB)

National Income

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the latest figures for gross value added per capita for (1) England, (2) Northern Ireland, (3) Scotland and (4) Wales.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UK Statistics Reply 
(PDF Document, 79.5 KB)

Department of Health

Health Services: Children

Baroness Hollins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much was spent on emergency and urgent care for children and young people as a proportion of the total 2013–14 budget for emergency and urgent care.

Baroness Hollins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much was spent on acute care in hospitals for children and young people as a proportion of the total 2013–14 budget for acute care in hospitals.

Baroness Hollins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much was spent on general practitioner and community services for children and young people as a proportion of the total 2013–14 budget for general practitioner and community services.

Lord Prior of Brampton: This information is not held centrally. NHS England and the Department do not monitor the proportion of expenditure on emergency and urgent care, acute care in hospitals and general practitioner and community services for children and young people, as a proportion of the overall National Health Service expenditure on these services.

Health Professions and Social Workers: Regulation

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to bring forward the draft Law Commission bill on medical regulation for parliamentary consideration.

Lord Prior of Brampton: This Government is grateful for the work of the Law Commissions of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in reviewing the regulation of health and (in England) social care professionals. The Law Commissions made 125 recommendations to reform the existing complex and burdensome regulatory system. The joint four United Kingdom country response to the Law Commission was published on 29 January 2015 which accepted wholly or in part the vast majority of its recommendations.   The recommendations focussed on modernising and simplifying the legislation to enable the regulators to respond more quickly to emerging risks to patient safety and deal with poor professional practice swiftly and proportionately. This Government remains committed to bringing forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows. This will be a substantial Bill and it is important that Parliament has sufficient time to give it the consideration it requires.

Giant Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to monitor the adoption across England of the pilot fast-track clinical pathway for polymyalgia rheumatica and giant-cell arteritis being developed in Southend University Hospital.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for the provision of services for people with polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis (GCA). Whilst it would not be appropriate for NHS England to direct CCGs to adopt a particular clinical pathway, it continues to ensure that the innovative approach developed in Southend University Hospital is shared and made available to clinicians. The Specialised Rheumatology Clinical Reference Group at NHS England has been developing proposals to establish local rheumatology networks.   The aim of these would be to share good and innovative practice across the country and an indication has been proposed for GCA. In addition, NHS England’s innovation team has invited Professor Dasgupta, who developed the GCA pathway, to contribute to the NHS Innovation Exchange Portal to ensure that this knowledge is shared.

Mesothelioma: Research

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to increase the United Kingdom’s capacity to conduct research into mesothelioma and associated diseases.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has invited researchers to apply for mesothelioma research funding, in particular to address the research questions identified through the Mesothelioma Priority Setting Partnership and published in December 2014. Eight NIHR programmes are participating in this themed call, including the NIHR fellowships programme which supports outstanding individuals to become the health research leaders of the future.   The NIHR funds infrastructure capacity for experimental medicine to translate scientific developments into benefits for patients. Such infrastructure supporting studies in mesothelioma includes biomedical research centres and units, clinical research facilities, and experimental cancer medicine centres. The NIHR funds infrastructure capacity for later phase trials and studies through the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN). The CRN is currently recruiting to seven studies in mesothelioma.

Health Services: Staffordshire

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the Staffordshire Distressed Health Economy report by KPMG into the long-term affordability of the Staffordshire local health economy.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which public bodies commissioned the report by KPMG into the long-term affordability of the Staffordshire local health economy.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the cost to public funds of the Staffordshire Distressed Health Economy report by KPMG.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the report commissioned on the Staffordshire local health economy by KPMG has not been published.

Lord Prior of Brampton: In 2014, NHS England, Monitor and the Trust Development Authority (TDA) commissioned research from four consultancies including KPMG to support 11 challenged local health economies, including Staffordshire, with the development and strengthening of their strategic plans. An overarching summary, Making Local Health Economies Work Better For Patients, was published by NHS England, Monitor and TDA in December 2014.   We are advised that consultancy firms (including the case of KPMG in Staffordshire), were not commissioned to produce a report as described in the question, but to support the local health economies (LHEs) with the development and strengthening of their strategic plans.   Work based on this support is ongoing, and a number of steps have to be taken in each of the LHEs. These include the consideration of strategic plans, consultations on possible reforms and the implementation of recommendations flowing from this. To release information ahead of these steps could prejudice the outcome.

Health Services: Staffordshire

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they agree with the assessment of the Staffordshire Distressed Health Economy report by KPMG into the Staffordshire local health economy that the annual financial deficit across the NHS providers and commissioners in Staffordshire could reach £216.8m by 2018–19.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the financial viability of the Staffordshire local health economy.

Lord Prior of Brampton: There are significant financial issues within Staffordshire which present a challenge for the local leaders.   The financial challenge is being addressed by the Transformation Strategy which will drive the service redesign of the Staffordshire health and social care economy to secure financial and clinically sustainable services in the long term. This work is being led by the Clinical Commissioning Congress - a joint body of clinical commissioning Groups and local authority commissioners.

Health Services: Staffordshire

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure the viability of comprehensive patient services in the Staffordshire local health economy.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the conclusion drawn in the Staffordshire Distressed Health Economy report by KPMG that there is a lack of collaborative working across the six Clinical Commissioning Groups in Staffordshire to maximise leadership capabilities.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Staffordshire Distressed Health Economy report by KPMG, what assessment they have made of whether NHS England has appropriately held the six Clinical Commissioning Groups in Staffordshire to account for their performance.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether there is alignment between all commissioner and provider plans in the Staffordshire local health economy.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is an agreed single strategic plan across the Staffordshire local health economy.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England has identified the Staffordshire clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) as high risk, and as such is monitoring their performance on a monthly basis with a full quarterly review of finance and performance. NHS England increases the intensity of performance reviews where there are significant shortfalls. This includes weekly meetings with CCGs where appropriate.   Collaborative working relationships are a critical factor in securing sustainable services in any local health economy. The Commissioning Congress has been set up in Staffordshire to bring together both CCGs and local authority commissioners. The Congress will lead the Transformation Strategy which will drive the service redesign of the Staffordshire Health and Social Care economy to secure financial and clinically sustainable services in the long term. The Congress will engage with local providers in developing these plans to ensure that there is a single five-year plan for the local health economy. This work will lead to a full public consultation on those services during the autumn of 2015. The Congress brings together the combined skills, knowledge and expertise of commissioners to work the provider sector on defining the range, scale and scope of services changes to ensure Staffordshire is both clinically and financially sustainable in the long term.

Community Hospitals: Staffordshire

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation made by KPMG in the Staffordshire Distressed Health Economy report that beds in community hospitals in Tamworth, Longton and Cheadle be reduced.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Both North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Groups have been working to develop community models of care, so that their populations, particularly frail older people who use community hospitals, are receiving rehabilitation care through effective step down services and that where a patient has an exacerbation they can have access to a community bed.

Palliative Care

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to enable the highest possible proportion of terminally ill patients to die at home, or in a hospice.

Lord Prior of Brampton: What’s important to me: A Review of Choice in End of Life Care, published in February 2015, provided advice to Government on how end of life care services could be supported to enable people’s choices to be delivered.   The Government is considering the report and its recommendations and will respond in full later this year.

NHS: Greater London

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each NHS Trust in London, how much of the deficit from 2014–15 was carried forward into 2015–16.

Lord Prior of Brampton: National Health Service trusts do not carry forward deficits from one year to the next. A surplus or deficit is simply the difference between income received and expenditure incurred during that year.

Health and Wellbeing Boards: Staffordshire

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the two Health and Wellbeing Boards in Staffordshire have created a single executive group to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the Staffordshire Distressed Health Economy report by KPMG and hold the organisations in the Staffordshire Local Health Economy to account.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the recommendations of the Staffordshire Distressed Health Economy report by KPMG have been subject to public consultation and scrutiny.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the recommendations of the Staffordshire Distressed Health Economy report by KPMG have been discussed in open session meetings of the six Clinical Commissioning Groups in Staffordshire.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of NHS England's stewardship and oversight of the Staffordshire local health economy; and what criteria they have used to make this assessment.

Lord Prior of Brampton: One of the key functions of the Health and Wellbeing Boards is to promote greater integration and partnership, including joint commissioning, so it is for them to decide how they collaborate to achieve the best outcomes for their population.   The Commissioning Congress has been set up in Staffordshire to bring together both clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and local authority commissioners. The six CCGs have a line of accountability to Health and Wellbeing Boards to deliver the health and wellbeing strategies as part of the transformation programme. The Congress will lead the Transformation Strategy which will drive the service redesign of the Staffordshire Health and Social Care economy to secure financially and clinically sustainable services in the long term. The Congress will engage with local providers in developing these plans to ensure that there is a single five-year plan for the local health economy.   In order to produce a single plan there are a number of steps have to be taken, following on from the work to date by KPMG. These include the consideration of strategic plans, consultations on possible reforms and the implementation of recommendations flowing from this. To release information ahead of these steps could possibly prejudice the outcome. There will be a full public consultation on the resulting plans during the autumn of 2015.   NHS England has identified the Staffordshire CCGs as high risk, and as such is monitoring their performance on a monthly basis with a full quarterly review of finance and performance. NHS England increases the intensity of performance reviews where there are significant shortfalls, and this includes weekly meetings with CCGs where appropriate.

Health Services: Staffordshire

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Staffordshire Distressed Health Economy report by KPMG, what is their assessment of the ability of the Clinical Commissioning Groups to manage the risks posed by outsourcing to the cancer and end-of-life programme in Staffordshire for a 10-year period.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Groups stipulated that private-sector providers should be part of the successful consortium in order to manage the risk posed by outsourcing to the cancer and end-of-life programme in Staffordshire for a 10-year period; and if so, why.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England advises that the Transforming Cancer and End of Life Programme in Staffordshire is a partnership between four clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), two local authorities, NHS England and Macmillan Cancer Support. Resources and expertise have been provided over and above current CCG resource by Macmillan Cancer Support to mitigate any risks to delivery from capacity and capability gaps.   Staffordshire CCGs did not stipulate that private sector providers should be part of the successful consortium.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust: Dermatology

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the independent investigation into the loss of dermatology specialist services at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to hold Rushcliffe Clinical Commissioning Group to account for the failures in the commissioning of dermatology specialist services at the Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust, described in a report of the independent investigation as an "unmitigated disaster".

Lord Prior of Brampton: The independent service review of dermatology services in Nottingham was initiated by Rushcliffe Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), as the co-ordinating commissioner for Circle Nottingham services on behalf of the four Nottinghamshire CCGs.   The review reported on 4 June 2015, finding that no one person or organisation is to blame for the current problems faced by dermatology services in Nottingham. The review panel made recommendations for joint action by Rushcliffe CCG, Circle and Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust to address the immediate local situation. It also made a national recommendation for consideration by Health Education England.